Wednesday, September 27, 2006
THE THOMASINE CHURCH
I've researched and written a lot about Martinists. Recently, in looking at the Wikipedia entry for Martinism, I noticed one of the orders listed that I hadn't taken note of before--"Mar Didymos of the Thomasine Church".
It's difficult to tell form the homepage what religion is being promoted. According to the website, "The Thomasine movement began in Edessa, in Eastern Syria near the upper reaches of the Euphrates valley. The Thomasine Church is the modern manifestation of the ancient Thomasine Movement and its Teachings. The Teachings were preserved and encapsulated in the Gospel of Thomas, The Hymn of the Pearl and the Book of Thomas the Contender."
The picture, in any case, reminded me of a similar picture I had seen on an equally incomprehensible website. Are Martinists and Essenes related?
The "Seekers" link on the homepage brings up "Our Philosophy" where I learned that "Through directly experiencing the Supreme or Transcendental Light, God, Allah, Tao, Nature, one may attain Illumination or Awakening." Does that mean that they are a branch of Islam?
The "Thomasine Creed" page told me they "seek the annointing of the Mother, the Holy and Comforting Spirit, who is the front (sic) of all wisdom." Would they honor Mother Bitterlich of the Opus Angelorum, one wonders? Did they get their ideas about awakening from the same source that Gurdjieff encountered and adopted?
The "What" page explains, however, that "The Thomasine Church does not ascribe to any belief. The Thomasine Church is Illuminist in philosophy with a focus on hesychasm; an inward-looking mystical practice. Direct experience and knowledge is what is considered paramount and the cornerstone of our work." That would be what makes it Martinist, I guess.
The "Sacraments" page is informative. The Apolytrosis is a Cathar sacrament. So is the Bridal Chamber which the website claims is necessary for the "healing, repair, and reintegration" that will address the human need to "once again become whole and thereby acquire the qualifications to attain the Kingdom." The webpage doesn't indicate whether this is a sexual rite or not in the Thomasine Church. Stephen Hoeller describes these sacraments here, referring to the sacrament of the Bride-Chamber as the "Sacred Wedding (Hieros Gamos)" and indicating that it "united the soul in a final union with the Twin Angel or Deific Double and similarly also unites the soul with God in the Fullness (Pleroma)." Would the Twin Angel be the Holy Guardian Angel?
In the "Presbyterate", women are referred to as "Illuminated Mother".
Healing is one of the gifts of illumination".
On the "Theological Education" page behind the "Initiates" button, I learned that "members should have a thorough and highly developed theological education." How one is supposed to get that in a church that espouses no doctrine is not explained.
The church is ecumenical, of course.
The Druid Way fits into their plan. They oppose "fundamentalist Christian theology" on ecology.
They have an "HIV/AIDS ministry", and an "International Women's Network" that features Mary Magdalene and the egg on the webpage.
This is a most interesting webpage. They have a Rose Cross Society "dedicatd to the research and preservation of ancient texts, concepts, and methods of Illumination."
There is also an "Order of Friars Marcionite". A friar is expected to be "honest and accepting of his sexuality and already living the virtues of a celibate life." The daily schedule is given, and I note that during Vespers they have "devout reading of Holy Scripture (Lectio divina)". Fr. Karl Mark - +Mar Synesius - is the Master of the Order of Friars Marcionite, and there is a picture of him on the webpage.
Behind the "Resources" button, the "Patriarchs of the Thomasine Church" include Jesus, Mar Thoma, Mar Addai, and Mar Mari, some men who have been associated with Churches of the Catholic communion. His Beatitude +Mar Didymos is the current Patriarch. The website explains that he was raised Roman Catholic. The church is "based upon primitive Christianities' teachings found within the Gospel of Thomas exclusively."
The +Mar Didymos was born December 29, 1967 in Kearny, New Jersey according to the "Aeropagus" webpage. Archemandrite of the Aeropagus is a woman, +Marta Theodora.
Their Canon Law, a pdf file. Item No. 21, "Marital Status of Clergy" explains that "Moral indiscretion of single clergy that has become public knowledge and separation or divorce of married clergy (provided that such was not due to marital infidelity on the cleric's part) does not necessarily bar one from the exercise of clergical (sic) function..."
Entry No. 42 indicates that "only square (cubic) altars may be used.
When I accessed the website on Sept. 13, 2006, the "OFM Application" link on the Resources page went to a pdf file. Today it brings up a "Page cannot be found" message. The application was interesting because it asked for the candidate's religious background, including the dates of his Baptism and Confirmation, his current parish, current diocese, and pastor's name. It also wanted to know if the candidate was a convert to Catholicism, if he had ever been married or attempted marriage, and whether the marriage had been annulled by the Roman Catholic Church. It wanted to know "How did you learn about Our Lady of Spring Bank Cistercian Abbey?" Odd.
I looked up Our Lady of Spring Bank Cistercian Abbey and discovered the Lazer Monks.
Our Lady of Spring Bank Cistercian Abbey is Catholic, and located in Sparta, Wisconsin. So are the Friars Marcionite and the Cistercians sharing facilities?
On Sept. 15 I emailed the Thomasine Church asking for the location of Our Lady of Spring Bank Abbey, how many priests and monks are in residence, and when the abbey was founded, but got no answer. On September 19 I again emailed the Thomasine Church with the same questions and received a response from +Mar Didymos telling me that "Our Lady of Spring Bank is not affiliated with us." Strange, since the application with that monastery name was part of their website. The rest of my questions were not answered. I sent a third email asking for the location of the Order of Friars Marcionite, the name of the monastery, and how many monks and priests are members of the order. Mar Didymos responded that the Friary is in Barrie Ontario and that he would pass my request to Fr. Karl Mark. That was the last I heard from them. The "From" line of this email came from <"Mark E. Bober">
Mark E. Bober turned up as the "Worshipful Master Elect of Lehigh Lodge No. 326 who will give a presentation on Freemasonry, Martinism and Hermetic Christianity" at the AlliedMasonicDegrees.org website.
Ecclesia Gnostica in Nova Albion also discussed Mark Bober.
On Sept. 15 I also emailed Our Lady of Spring Bank Monastery to inquire if a priest named Fr. Karl Mark was associated with their Abbey. I received no answer. I again emailed them on Sept. 19, but again received no answer. Lastly I emailed Barbara Blaine at SNAP to request any information they might have on the Friars Marcionite, but received no response from SNAP either.
Lastly I tried Mark E. Bober at BishopAccountability.org. He was not there. However Marjan L. Bober of Camden, New Jersey is there and has been sued. Marjan L. Bober concelebrated a solemn liturgy of thanksgiving with Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio at Our Lady of the Lakes Church on October 21, 2001.
Today the incriminating application has apparently been removed from the Thomasine Church website, so who knows what these monks are up to.
